Intake manifold for internal-combustion engines



July 1, 1930. s. FEKETE 1,768,551

INTAKE MANIFOLD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 25, 1927 2 SheetsSheet l INTAKE MANIFOLD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES July 1 1930.

FEKETE Filed Feb. 23, 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Patented July 1, l930 omrso STATES PATENT- orricr:

STEPHEN FEKETE, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HUDSON MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN 4 INTAKE MANIFOLD FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed February 23, 1927, Serial No. 170,-115.

, My present invention relates to an improveheavy fuel in the mixture delivered by the ment in intake manifolds for internal comcarburetor these particles are thrown by cenbustion engines. The particular object of trifugal force to the outer wall of the curved the invention is to provide a simple-device by passage and, in the case of a low velocity 5 which the distribution of "fuel to the several manifold, tend to accumulate, by gravity, on 55 intake ports of an internal combustion enthe floor or bottom wall and not mix with gine, which ports are supplied through a the air stream. As the several valve ports single manifold passage, 'will be more unisuck or breathe successively the stream of form than heretofore. As is well-known to mixture is required to change direction sudthose skilled in the art, the problem of disdenly passing first to one port an l then to 60 4 tribution, by which is meant'the supplying of another. In so far as the mixture is a perequal amounts of fuel under uniform cond1- fect gas or substantially so this presents no tions, to each of the inlet ports of an internal obstacle since the gas responds immediately combustion engine, is one of the most diflito the suck of the successive cylinders.

cult problems connected with the design of When, h Y 3 e fu l is unvaporized and 65 multi-cylinder internal combustion engines is carried along either on the bottom or outer for automobiles and the like. This problem side of the manifold, it does not enter the air is of particular importance in connection with stream, and is not likely to become mixed six and eight cylinder engines having cylwith air, but eventually finds its way sub- 2 inders formed inasingle block and the failure stantially unvaporized into one of the cyl- 7 to accomplish uniform distribution is one of inders. My invention provides a deflector the chief causes of difficulty with engines of which extends part way across the passage this type. For instance, trouble is frequentinwardly from the outer wall of the manily experienced with the end cylinder of an. fold and upwardly from the floor thereof,

eight cylinder engine of the kind referred to being connected with the floor throughout its 7 owing to the fact that there is a tendency of length, being of the full height of the pasthe heavy particles of fuel to travel in a sage where it joins the outer wall, but being straight line and thus reach the cylinder fur of less height at its inner'end, and having a thest away causing fouling of that cylinder curved upper free edge. This deflector terand the spark plug and imperfect combustion minates abruptly at about the middle of the 80 therein. If passages are designed to correct passage, thereby forming a take-ofi' so that this, the trouble maybe corrected in the end the unvaporized fuel wh1ch creeps along the cylinder but it is likely to be thereby transouter wall and bottom of the manifold pasferred to one of the other cylinders. These sage is picked up and blown off into the middifiiculties are particularly pronounced in dle of the air stream ina position such that 85 I low velocity manifolds of relatively large it can travel with equal ease to any of the incapacity and substantially rectangular crosstake ports. Since the unvaporized fuel section with flat floors, such as have been which is blown off the edge of the deflector is found especially suitable for high speed enitself substantially in the middle of the air 40 gines in order to obtain good breathing, since stream and since it can travel in a substan- 90 the velocity of the'gases is insufficient to pretially straight line to whichever of the ports vent the accumulation of unvaporized fuel on is breathing it does not again reach the side the floor of the passage. walls of the passages and, due to the increased My present invention results in practically velocity of the air stream at this point, is

uniform distribution to all of the cylinders picked up from the floor and is carried diunder all conditions and is accomplished by rectly to whichever cylinder the mixture is a relatively small change in the construction then being supplied to. I I

of the intake manifold which supplies the I find in practice that this simple device rebranches leading to the several valve ports. sults in a very material improvement in dis- When there are unvaporized particles of tribution and that in a six cylinder engine '100 action of the manifold as provided with it, no one cylinder shows more fouling than another thus indicating that the mixture supplied to each cylinder is substantially uniform.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of an internal combustion engine together with a portion of an external manifold to supply the mixture thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4:, 5 and 6 are sections of the manifold taken on lines 3-3, 1-4, 55 and 6-6, respectively of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the deflector, the upper part of the manifold passage being broken away.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are diagrams showing the the successive cylinders breathe.

In the drawings, at A is shown a cylinder block, at B, C and D three of the inlet valves, at E, F and G branch passages leading to the inlet valves and at H an external manifold supplying all three cylinders. It will be understood that I do not limit myself to the number of cylinders shown and further that the other end of the engine may be of the same construction, what is shown being sulficient to illustrate the invention. The intake manifold H as shown is of the low velocity type, having a passage of relatively large, substantially rectangular'cross section and a flat floor is curved in the horizontal plane as shown in Fig. 1, so that any unvaporized particles of the liquid fuel tend to be thrown by centrifugal force against the outer wall it and having contacted with the outer. wall tend to cling to the wall and, due to the relat1vely low velocity of the air stream, to gravitate to the floor. Unless in some way diverted these particles Will pass along the floor of the passage G to the end valve D. With a layout of valves and passages like that shown in the drawings, of the engine are likely to receive an undue proportion of theheavy part'of the fuel whlch will be indicated by fouling of the combustion space, piston head and spark plug.

In accordance with my invention, I form in the manifold passagejH a deflector e, the shape of which will be clearly seen in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5,- 6 and 7 This deflector joins the floor of the passage throughout its length and bends inwardly from the wall It, i. e. is curved in plan as shown in Fig. 1. At the point where the deflector joins the wall h it is the full height of the wall, but decreases in height as it bends inwardly to form a free uper ed e which is curved to overhang slighty ass own in Figs. 5 and 6. terminates at about the median line of the intake passage, and at the tip the deflector has a height about the end cylinders The deflectorthe total height of the passage. The tip of the deflector is at a point mldway of the air stream leading to each of the valves.

The operation of my device is as follows: When the particles of heavy gas which are unmixed with the air in the manifold H emerge from the carburetor, they tend to travel in a straight line and consequently are thrown against the outer curved wall it. The particles are held against this wall by centrifugal force and by surface tension and are dra ed along by the action of the air current, ten ing however, due to the low velocity of the latter, to gravitate to the floor. When such of them as still adhere to the outer Wall reach the deflector they are carried inwardly and downwardly, while those which travel along the floor are intercepted and directed toward the tip of the deflector. The overhanging portion of the deflector prevents the particles being thrown over the upper edge and insures that all of them are carried toward the center of the air stream. The shape of the deflector, which I call for convenience a propellershape, is important as it insures the delivery of all the heavy particles in to the air stream. When the particles of unvaporized fuel reach the vertical edge 7 of the deflector e they are blown off into the air stream. If the valve B is breathing the action will be as shown in Fig. 8, the general direction of the air stream being shown bythe light arrows, while the direction of the heavy particles of fuel are shown by the darker arrows. It will therefore be seen that while the cylinder B is breathing the heavy particles of fuel are drawn into that cylinder. When cylinder C is breathing the action will be as shown in Fig. 9. In that case also the particles are thrownv off the tip of the deflector and being in the middle of the air stream are thus carried directly to the valve 0. They have no opportunity to contact with the walls and therefore there is little or no danger of fouling. When the end cylinder is breathing the action indicated. in Fig. 10 occurs. In this case it will also be seen that the particles are blown off the edge of the deflector into the middle of the air stream and thus are carried directly to the end valve D. By this arrangement the hea fuel which comes to the edge of the deflector is carried into whichever cylinder is breathing, and therefore the heavy fuel which for-- merly tended to find its way entirely to one cylinder is now distributed equally among all the cylinders.

In practice I find it convenient to make the vertical edge of the deflector substantially in ,a line with the plane of the side wall of the cylinder block since in this way, the deflector can be made wholly in the manifold casting, but it will be understood that the parts may be otherwise constructed.

What I claim is.

1. A low Velocity intake manifold for internal combustion engines having a passage provided with a deflector extending part Wayonly thereacross from one wall to substan tially the middle of the passage, said defiector being joined with the floor of the passage throughout its length, and having-adjacent its inner end an overhanging free up er edge.

2. A'low velocity intake manifol for 1nternal combustion engines having a passage provided with a deflector extending part way only thereacross from one wall to substantially the middle of the passage, said defieotor being joined with the floor of the passage throughout its length, being of the full height of the passage where it adjoins said wall, but being of less height adjacent its inner end and curved .towform an overhanging free upper edge. 3. A low velocity intake manifold for internal combustion engines having a curved passage provided with "a deflector extending part way only thereacross from its outer wal to substantially the middle of the passage, said deflector being joined with the floor of the passage throughout its length, and having adjacent its inner end an overhanging free upper edge.

4:. A low velocity intake manifold for internal combustion engines having a passage with a flat floor'and provided with a deflector extending part way only thereaoross from one wall to substantially'the midle of the passage, said, deflector being joined with the floor of the passage throughout its length and'having adjacent its inner end an overhanging free upper edge.

In testimony whereof I aflix' my signature.

STEPHEN I. FEKETE. 

